Protector's protector
by QuincyPrincess11
Summary: Ichigo wakes up in a cell together with Ginjou Kuugo, both captured by the Vandenreich. Ginjou makes a promise to the boy in his sleep, but will he manage to keep that promise?
1. Chapter 1

The aching... the aching of his chest where making it hard to breath. He tasted blood in his mouth, his loungs where sore. He coud hear a sound from afar, like the rusteling of chains or... the dripping of wather.

Where was he?

Ichigo opend his eyes, it was so dark... He lifted his head that felt painfully heavy, altough he coud not see he knew he was not in a familliar enviorment. He tryed to seartch trugh his memories...

He was sent home by one of the Royal Guards... he talked to his dad... then... there was an exsplotion not far away, his old man told him to get into his shikai... but he didn't have his badg with him... he rember his father pushing him back when a white clad man lashed at Isshin. As his father ran afther the quincy... 'who seam to be the only one there... Somone grabbed him from behind... He didn't remember anything afther that...

But he was not so un-observant, he rememberd back in Soul Society when facing the Quincy leader, the man wanted to take him...

The Quincies came for him...

"Hey"

Ichigo looked up, following the noize. He knew that voice...

"...Ginjou?"

"So you do recognize my voice? I was afraid you woud have forgotten all abaut me."

"Ginjou!"

Ichigo who had been layig on his back rolled over to his stomach and sat up. The quick movment made his head spinn however he coud make out a dark form sitting in the opposite side of the room.

They where in a cell, a very small cell with cave like walls, the only light coming from between the small bars of the metal door.

Ichigo tuned his head back to the figure across from him, as his eyes got used to the darkness he coud clearly make out the face of the man. It was Ginjou, those strange eybrows coud belong to no one else.

The man's usaly slicked back hair hang losely over his face but he wore the same usal leather clad cothes, exep they where torn, bloodied and dity...

"You don't look to bad" The man commented with a smile.

"Ginjou... what..."

"Is my name the only thing you can say?"

"What are you doing here!?"

"I was abducted, like you, it's kind of obius if you think abaut it, we are in a cell and I'm chained up to the wall."

"Why? Why are you here?"

"I don't know"

"..."

There where chains bund around Ginjou's wrists, however they didn't prevent him from moving around and sitting down. Ichigo examend his own body, it was his human body... he was still wearing his simple every day clothes. However, his shoes where missing, he never had the time to take them on...

"Hey Ichigo-"

Suddanly they heard footsteps outside their cell, Ichigo quicly tensed.

The door to their cell unlocked. Three Quincy enterd the small room, Ichigo instantly recognized the one in the middle. He was tall with long blonde hair.

"You!" Ichigo cursed, shooting up. Maby it was becouse he was always like that, but Ichigo emedeatly stood infront of Ginjou in a protective manner.

The blonde quincy walked up to Ichigo, grabbing his shoulder, slamming him against the wall. His blue eyes met Ichigo's in a warning glare.

"Damn you!" he mumbled under his breath, even though the man clearly heard him. Ginjou coud see the ginger shaking under the man's tight grip.

Ichigo was clearly in no condition to be threated like this in his current body, or in this cold wet cell. He frowned.

Where the Quicny going to take Ichigo away? He stepped forvard in order to try and showe the Quincy away however his chain where to short. Ichigo was out of his reach.

One of the Quincy guards gave him an amused look before grabbing Ginjou's shoulder and punching him straight to his gutts. "Guah!" Ginjou fell to his kneas, the pain made him crouch, the taste of blood flowing to his mouth, he coughed.

"Ginjou!" Ichigo's yelling echoed trugh the cell walls, he tryed to runn over to the man but Haschwalth gripped his arm, holding him back.

"Let go!"

"Come" Hascwalth gripped Ichigo's arm, dragging him outh with him in the hallway. "His Majesty wants to see you."

Ichigo's eyes widend, remembering the Quincy leader. "What does he want with me?"

Hachwalth gave Ichigo a side glare but didn't respond. The man was strong, far stronger than Ichigo in his human form, and even in his bankai... this man cut Zangetsu in two.

He dragged Ichigo all the way trugh many corridors to they reatched a larg door. Inside was a long throne room. In the end was a white throne, and Ichigo frowned as he saw the man sitting in it.

"I'm suprised..."

The Quincy leader started as Haschwalth dragged Ichigo up with him as close to the man's throne as possible.

"I realy though Isshin Shiba woud use more effort in protecting his only son..."

Ichigo's eyes widend at the statment, his father, what heppend to his father!? The old man smirked as he saw Ichigo's expression. Hascwalth held Ichigo's armes tightly behind his back.

Ichigo glared at the man with hatered, not saying a word.

"Your father is dead"

The King spoke afther a short silence, he examend Ichigo's expression yet again. Ichigo's eyes turned fom anger to wide realization, and for a moment his world stood still. The first second he felt like laughing, to spit in the man's face and yell at him for making sutch a joke just to bring him down.

But... But... as he stared into to the other man's red eyes he saw no lies.

He didn't know what to say.

The king continued. "When Soul Society hears abaut your Quincy heritage they will turn their backs on you. Kurosaki Ichigo, you are lost." Ichigo kept staring at the king with wide eyes.

"You have no reason to return return to the material world, nor Soul Society..."

"..."

"My sisters..." Ichigo managed to say, breaking his own silence. He gave the kind a heated glare. "Where are my sisters?"

"You house where destroyed"

At that moment Ichigo snapped.

"YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, desperatly trying to twist himself out Haschwalth's gripp. He coud not think anymore, all he wanted to do was to chocke the life out of the man sitting in front of him. He was so hysterical, the full realization of his family's death had not yet sinked in.

"Yhwach-sama!"

A short blackhaired girl came rushing up up the the throne before she knealed. "There is an urgant message from Huecho Mundo... it's abaut Krige's killer..."

She gave Ichigo a side glance, Ichigo felt his anger turn to fear again... His friends... his friends was there!

"I see... " Yhwach looked back at Ichigo again. "Haschwalth, take our Ichigo back to his cell again... I will have to continue this another day it seam."

With a last glance as Ichigo the king rose from his seat, dissapearing from ichigo's site who where being dragged back by Haschwalth again.

...

He was shaking, every bone in his body was shaking. His world was crumbled. He burried his face in his hands as he slid down on the floor.

He wanted to cry, cry untill he passed out. But instead he felt so emthy. Maby it ws to mutch for his mind to handle, how coud everything go so wrong in sutch a short time?

How coud this man take everything from him just like that, it didn't make any sense..

"Ichigo..."

The voice made Ichigo jump, in all his distress he had forgotten abaut everything else. Ginjou was still laying on the floor afther he was beaten. Ichigo quicly rushed to his old enemy's side.

He turned the older man on his back as he gently lifted his heavy upper body, the man groned in pain and tryed to turn in Ichigo's armes. Ichigo quicly took of Ginjou's jacket off then shirt, examening the man's upper body, there was a way to large bump over his left ribs, it was allredy blue.

The ribs where broken. Ginjou tryed to move again as he carefully traced over the wound.

"Sitt still you idiot!" Ichigo lifted the man's arm up.

"You shure you know what you are doing?" Ginjou seamed sceptical, sweat of pain rulling down his face.

"Of course! I grew up in a clinic." With that said Ichigo took of his own white shirt and blue jacket.

He ripped his shirt into thick strips. Making Ginjou groan in pain again Ichigo bound his ripped shirt strips tightly around Ginjou's ribs.

"I know it hurts, but it's better for you this way..."

"Thanks..." Ginjou said, adjusting his own body, before giving Ichigo a slight smile. He carfully sat up. Ginjou looked down at the teen, Ichigo was looking into his eyes with sutch clear yet concerned eyes, biting his lips in insecurity.

"I know I am the one who is hurt..." Ginjou started "But you don't look to good ether..."

"I am fine!"

"Realy? Becouse you look terrible" Ginjou said in all honasty. "And what is with your face? You look Misrable as well"

"SHUT UP!" Ichigo yelled. "I can deal with this!"

Ginjou frowned as he sighed, sitting against the wall. "I'm tierd to..." He mumbled. "I have been here for a while, and trust me, these Quincyes are not very friendly, you are on for a rough life"

"How..." Ichigo adjusted his hore voice, choughing slightly. "How long have you been here?"

"Not to long, a week pherhaps, judging by my sleeping habbits..."

"Why are you in chains?" Ichigo looked up at Ginjou, the silver chains rattled whenever the man moved.

"Who knows? I shoud be asking you the oppisite, you are more powerfull than me, why haven't they chained you down?"

Ichigo's expression chainged, the boy looked at the dity stone floor stained with old blood, he didn't know it it was Ginjou's or the ones that had been in the cell previusly, however the cell had a toturus aura to it...

"Not anymore" Ichigo mumbled. "I don't... I'm helpless" Ichigo burried his face in his kneas. "I tryed so hard to protect everyone, to protect Soul Society, I failed... I failed twice! And now I don't even have a bankai anymore! It's broken, I can't do anything!... I can't do anything!"

"..." Ginjou didn't respond to that. "So...What happend? How did you get captured?" He asked Ichigo.

"I was just... at home, with my old man..." Ichigo mumbled. "I never realy had time to react, I didn't have my badge with me... I don't realy remember mutch." Ichigo lifted his head again. "I killed you... did you end up in Soul Society?"

"Yes"

"...I'm sorry..." Ichigo said, he didn't look directly at Ginjou. He didn't have the guts...

"Why?"

"Why? I-... I killed you!" Ichigo was looking at him now.

"So?"

Ichigo stared at him, with sutch confusion. "Listen Ichigo, I was-" Ginjou stoped in his sentance... "It's okay"

He wasn't shure how to talk to Ichigo abaut this now. He had never been open abaut his feeling... He let out a sigh.

"Come, sit next to me"

Ichigo looked hesetatly at him for a while, before walking up to him, slowly sinking down on the ground next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

"What shoud we do?" Ichigo asked, Ginjou coud se the concern in his eyes.

"I don't know."

He anwserd the ginger honastly. He glanced at Ichigo who where looking at his feet. "What happend to you out there?" He saw Ichigo's lips tighten at the question. "Allright, you do't have to tell me" He said before Ichigo had to anwser, he din't want to make him uncomftable...

They sat like that for a while, Ginjou din't know how long, but eventualy Ichigo had his head rested on his shoulder.

"Are you going to sleep on me?" No anwser. "Hey Ichi-" Ginjou froze when he looked over at Ichigo. The boy was indeed sleeping with his head reasted against his shoulder. But it was the expression that baffled the older Fullbringer, he never imagen sutch a change in Ichigo's physical characteristics.

Asleep it was like his entire beeing softend. His brows where so relaxed, giving his face a very diffrent and somwhat innocent look.

With his expression like that Ginjou coud see more clearly just how young Ichigo still was. The boy had been trugh so mutch in his life, but when all came to all, no matter how spechial he was, no matter how powerfull or what he was... Ichigo is a teenager, still full of yuth and dreams.

Somehow that though frightend him. Becouse Ginjou's guts where telling him that a lot of these things woud be ripped away from the boy in this place.

He reatched an arm out carfully, making Ichgo's head rest against his chest instead of his shoulder.

"I owe you alot..." He spoke even though the boy was sleeping. "I don't know what will happen to us from now, but I will do everything in my power to keep you as you are... and protect you. Ichigo"


	2. Chapter 2

It was kind of awkward, waking up having Ichigo sleeping heavely on him. Not that he didn't mind, but it wasn't a scenario he ever imagen happening between them. Not exactly shure what to do he just decided to be still until Ichigo woke up, his ribs where broken so it hurt to move anyway.  
Instead he observed Ichigo again, who where gently gripping Ginjou's biceps as he sleept for some reason. He still had that Innocent look on his face... it mad him look younger.

He carefully traced his fingertips over Ichigo's soft cheek and chin, still no sight or any traces of facial hair. Just a boy...  
He might just be a boy still but he can handle this. Ginjou thought, not very confident abaut his own toughts. He stroke Ichigo's face again, and that's when he noticed.

Dry tears...

Ichigo had been crying while he sleept?... No that coud no be right. But then again, last time Ichigo cried was infront of him, powerless. Was that why he was crying this time?

He looked to the side noticing the pile of clothes. He remember when he woke up in Rukongai, in the same old clothes... He missed the quiet grassfealds of the cuntry side there. It was quiet and peacfull, he wonderd if he woud ever get back there. And if Giriko and Tsukishima where still alive, or still there, for all he knew they coud have captured them as well.

The chains areound his armes where a real pain to, whenever he moved a muscle they woud rattle. How long where they going to keep them in this cell anyway, what did those Quincy want? He had allredy been there in almoast a week.  
He felt Ichigo move in a waken manner, the boy rubbed his head against Ginjou's bare chest before he froze, Ichigo rised his body with his hands, looking down at Ginjou with a suprised face.  
Fro a moment it seam like Ichigo didn't remember where he was, but as the boy looked around in the cell reality seam to sink in for him.

"Oh..." The boy mumbled, blushing slightly, he coud imagen what the boy was thinking second agao, waking up sleeping bare chested on his old foe.  
"I fell asleep."  
Ichigo sat up a little to quicly, putting a hand on his own shoulder as he twisted his neck in embaressemnt. "How are you ribs?"  
"They still hurt, but since I am in my spirit form it will prrobably heal quicker."  
"Good..."

There was an awakward silence afther that, probably for around an huor as they both moved away from echother, sitting on oposite side of the room. There wasn't realy anything to do in there exept to stare at the wall. The cave like sell had a toilet like hole in one of the corne and a door, that was it realy.  
So Ginjou found himself staring at the only intresting thing in the room; Ichigo. He kind of wished the boy was a little more talktive by nature, he had been all alone in this place for a week afther all.  
But then again, this kind of siuation wasn't exactly easty, and starting a nice conversation in a place like this was kind of hard.

"I wonder-..." Ichigo begann. "...-what my frieds are doing..."

"Don't think abaut it" Ginjou told him. Ichigo looked over at him with a frown. "If you want to stay strong in this place you have to put those thoughts away, they will only bring you down."  
Ichigo rested his chin on his kneas where he sat against the wall.

"...I guess so" he mumbled. "I just can't get it out of my head... my friends are in Huecho Mundo..."  
"Don't think abut it" Ginjou repeated, his tone lightly urging.  
"...Okay"

The cell door quicly opend whitout warning making them both jump. However the short Quincy walking into the cell didn't come to assult or dragg any one of them away this time, the man simply put to plate of food on the floor before leaving whitot a word. There wasn't mutch food on the plates however, the man had left a bigg mugg of water for both of them.

"Food?" Ginjou asked hopefully, Ichigo nodded showing one of the plates up to the man. There was only asmall pice of bread, some beans and what looked like a pice of chicken's leg however Ginjou apeared to be starving unlike Ichigo who didn't find the bland food very apetizing despise beeing quite hungry. Didn't Ginjou get any food before now Ichigo wonderd.  
Ichigo didn't eat.

"You know, I don't think they woud gain anything from poison or drugging our food." Ginjou said, taking another bit of the prechius meal.

"That's not it..." Ichigo turned to the hungry man. "How long is it since you last ate?"  
Ginjou swallowed as he gave Ichigo a strange look, why did it matter? "Abaut three days I think, I where given a bucket of wather."  
Ichigo shoved his plate to Ginjou. The older man stared at the food, then back at Ichigo. Just what was the boy thinking. "What are you doing?"  
"You need it more than me"  
"Ichigo... You don't have to be so self sacre-"  
"That's not realy it" The ginger teen interupted him. "I might be in my human body, but you have gone far to long whitout food than me. I'll be fine, it's only fair. Besides the two meals conbined is barly a small meal for one anyway, you need it."

Ginjou knew there was no refusing him, with a sigh he took the plate. "Thanks kid." Ichigo only gave him a meek stare. There was a long silence as Ginjou ate his and Ichigo's meal .  
Ichigo was sitting next to him, staring at the metal door.

"Why where you crying?" Ginjou asked Ichigo once he finished. Ichigo turned around looking at him with suprise.

"I...wasn't."

"You still have stains on your cheeks."

Ichigo frowned, emedeatly whiping his cheeks with the back of his hands feeling the dry salted stain. Ginjou still wonder what Ichigo had been crying abaut, the boy's eyes seamed... diffrent than before.  
He had seen Ichigo in distress, sadness and anger but his eyes looked even more diffrent this time.

"Hey..." Ginjou's voice was nearly a wisper as he reatched out, taking Ichigo's face in his hands. The chains on his wrist ratteling slightly. "Don't look like that."  
Ichigo hand grabbed his, at first Ginjou expected Ichigo to push him away. But instead the boy was holding his hand tightly.  
"That can't be all, what happen? Somthing happen to you out there... what did they tell you?"  
"Nothing I'm fine!"  
"Ichigo..."  
"Just shut up! I don't-...I don't want to talk abaut it..."  
"Ichi-"  
"You make a lot of noize, Kurosaki Ichigo." A stranger's voice said.

The door to their cell had opend and a slim young man with black hair looked down upon them. He had a scar on the left side of his lip. "I have been orderd to transfere the both of you." He looked from Ichigo to Ginjou. "I suggest you both follow quietly unless you want me to hurt him more." Refering to Ginjou.  
Ichigo was not shure what was in store to the both of them, but he knew trying to do somthing in this sutuation was not wise.

"He can't walk" Ichigo said as he stood up.  
The black haired Quincy gave Ginjou a look. "You're both comming ether way, I'll just dragg him-" He took a step twoard Ginjou but Ichigo block his path.

"Forgett it, I'll carry him" The Quincy simply responded to him with a bored 'whatever' look.  
Carfully, Ichigo knealed next to Ginjou and took one of his muscelar armes over his shoulder, he heard the man hold back a moan of pain as they both stood up.

"Are you okay, Ginjou?" Ichigo asked giving the man a concerned look. He was heavy, very heavy, luckely Ichigo was strong enough despite his smaller size to hold the man steady whitout falling.  
"Ah, it's just my ribbs don't worry... It nothing" But the man was sweating from his temples, Ichigo knew he was in a lot of pain.

"Follow me" The Quincy said coldly as they all walked out of the cell. The man was walking to fast, and Ichigo had to struggle keep up with him with sutch a weight on his body.  
He wanted to ask him where they where going, but he rlized that the Quincy probably woud not anwser anyway. Besides, with a heavy Ginjou hanging over his shoulder it was hard to concentrate abaut anything else.  
Somthimes Ichigo looked over at Ginjou, his expression was not a plesant one, he was clearly not satesfied with his own position, Ichigo didn't blame him, he wasn't peticelry happy abaut their situation ether.

The black haired Quincly stoped at a large door reacthing all the way to the tall roof atleast five meters high. Ichigo's heart sank thinking abaut what woud happen next, whatever it was, he knew it wasn't good.  
The larg doors opend... As Ichigo saw the interior of the room his stomach sank even more. He wanted to run away, grab Ginjou and just get the hell out of here. If the cold wet cell wit old blood stains was bad enough this place... This place... Ichigo wanted to close his eyes tight.  
The celing in the room was so tall that one coud see nothing but darknes, but out of that darkness was silver like chains dangling down from the floor,the end of the chains seamed to be sokead in blood.  
The walls and floor where white, besides all the stains of blood painting them, the air it the room, smelled like fresh blood... And in the middle of the room, stood the Quincy King, a smirk forming his lips as his eyes set on Ichigo.

There was two other Quincy next to him as well, the tall one with long blonde hair Ichigo recognized from Soul Society but the other one was an older man Ichigo had never seen before.  
The two Quicnies walked up to him and dragged Ginjou out of his grip as the black haired Quicny behind him gripped Ichigo's armes from behind and shoved him over against the wall where he was forced him to his kneas, the man dragged the chains down, he fastend them around Ichigo's wrists. The teen was now fully wonrable, his armes over his head, hanging in the chais.

He saw Ginjou next to him, getting the same treatment, Ichigo did not take his eyes away from him, he cud not help but worry abaut him... But when Yhwach walked infront of him and grabbed his chin he had no choice but to look away from the wounded man.

"I was a bit worried when I had to leave you with your Quincy powers awakend in Soul Society, but it seams they have not awakend mutch futher" He lowerd himself more to Ichigo's height hand still gripping the orange locks tightly. "I shun't be suprised tough, no one in the Human world have the ability to teach you abaut the full potential of your Quincy powers, not even Ryuuken or Uryu Ishida, and with your father gone you have no way of ever fully recovering your Shinigami powers again..."

"Don't mention my father!" Ichigo said spat. Yhwach gripped his hair painfully tight as he tilted Ichig's head upwards, a twisted smirk on his lips. "You are helpless right now Kurosaki Ichigo" His face was now next to Ichigo who shiverd. "I know I can't convert you willingly in this current situation, but, You'll be mine, one way or another."

He stood up, looking down at him with a more serius expression as he summoned one of the Quincies.  
"..." Ichigo's muscles insticltly tightend.

The man standing infront of him a needle in his hand, Ichigo had no idea what was in it but he knew whatever it was it woud not be good.  
He didn't like the way the King looked at him ether, not to mention his eyes... they where almoast Red... He shiverd turning his head away as the King stroke his cheek as the Black haired quicy knealed next to him, pointing the needle against his neck.  
No, he was not going to let this happen...  
"NO" Ichigo protested trying to twist away from the men and the younger Quincy gripped his shoulder.  
"Stop it!" Ichigo looked to the side, that wasn't his voice but Ginjou. The black haired man where gritting his theeth as Hascwalth where gripping his black locks tight.

"Quiet" The blonde qyuncy said to the helpless man. "you are in no position to-" As Haschwalth was abaut to backhand Ginjou Yhwach interupted.  
"Whait Hascwalth..." He walked a few steps away from Ichigo, over to the older Shinigami representive. "Let's hear what he has to say." The king's eyes bored into Ginjou's. "Well Ginjou Kuugo, you have somthing to say?"

"Yes.." Ginjou panted, lifting his head up as mutch as he coud. "Ichigo... Ichigo is just a kid... so please let me... take all the Toture for him."

Ichigo felt the Quincy holding the needle against his neck tighten his grip on his shoulder as all the eyes on the room where looking at Ginjou and the King, he coud feel the uncomftable tension in the air.  
At first Ichigo felt like laughing, there was no way they woud agree with that request, but then...

"Very well" Yhwach's anwser was simple. Ginjou seam to let out a chocked breath of releaf and gave Ichigo a week smile. But the boy didn't smile back, he just gave him an absolutly horrified and confused look.  
The Quincy holding Ichigo released his chains making him fall to the cold floor.  
"No!" Ichigo prostested against the his gripp as he was precticaly dragged to his feet and over to the king.

"I can handel this! I don't..." Yhwach hand landed on his shoulder as he showed him twoards the exit, Ichigo tried to run over to Ginjou however the king gripped his arm tightly.  
"I don't need you to protect me!" Ichigo yelled at Ginjou who gave him a slightly worried look only angering Ichigo more. "I can handle this!"

"... Idiot" Ginjou mumbled under his breath. "No you cant." He looked at Ichigo. "Stoop fooling yourself, you are still a kid! You are still a 17 year old boy... and you are in your human body!" He stared into Ichigo's eyes. "Do you realy think you can handle somthing like this? Physicaly... Mentaly? Stop kidding yourself!"  
Ichigo wanted to yell somthing back, but the words where stuck in his troath.  
"Come."  
Ichigo never looked away from Ginjou as he was dragged out of the room.

...

Author's note:

I hope I'm doing everything allright, the Fan Fiction system is kind of confusing me.

Thank your for all the vews and follows etc, I realy apreachiate it. I know that my grammar is horrible but I am glad that some people give my story a chance non the less, thank you! :)


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